I've made mistakes, Assad tells German mag

Syrian President Bashar Assad says he has made mistakes and doesn't believe in a negotiated peace with rebels, Germany's Der Spiegel says.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

(AAP)

A German magazine is quoting Syria's President Bashar al-Assad as saying he has made mistakes and that no side in his country's civil war is entirely free of blame.

In an advance version of an interview to be published on Sunday, Der Spiegel also quotes Assad as saying he doesn't believe in a negotiated peace with armed opposition groups.

Assad reportedly told the weekly that he hadn't yet decided whether to run for the presidency again when his term ends in August.

On Saturday, Der Spiegel quoted Assad as reiterating his insistence that government forces weren't responsible for the August 21 chemical weapons attack near Damascus.

The Syrian conflict began in March 2011 as protests against Assad's regime, evolving into a civil war that has killed more than 100,000 people.


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Source: AAP



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